Durango, Colo.

Nestled between red sandstone bluffs in southwest Colorado, Durango was founded as a railroad town in the 1880s, and its heritage plays a major role in its holiday festivities. Nearly every night from Thanksgiving to Christmas, kids in pajamas line up at Durango's historic depot to board the Polar Express – a real train pulled by a real steam locomotive. During the ride, families sip hot chocolate, sing Christmas carols and visit Santa at the "North Pole," bringing the award-winning book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg to life.